Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-14
Ella Wheeler Wilcox on the Dangers
that Threaten Young Women--AI-
Iurements in City and Country.
The Towns Wicked, buS fhe Country
Net Altogether Mnrsi-There Pa.
rents Make Mistakes-HoW
YOaDg Women aye Tempted.
Mother and Dsuehter-yshere Zen Women
sre Tempted Two Only Fau-Rbere Ten
Man are Tempted GwU Only Stsnd.
[CoDVrIs hted, ISL


coIfldante. When / Was myself a girl
they sought ne for sympathy Rud cons0-
Iation. Since my marriage they have
come TO me for advice and assistance.
II Will be impossible in this article to
more than touch upon the various phases
Of temptations 10 which girls are sub
jected in this bad but jolly old world.
In fiction and in Journalism the country
is always represented as a place morally
ard physically healthful for girls. The
city alone is supposed TO teen with temp
tstions for the innocent and ignorant.
Without doubt The town offers more
opportunities for folly and wrongdoing.
Yet human nature is the same, IN it's
varying moods, it's passions and It's weak
pesses, the world over; and there are
phsses and causes Tor temptations in the
rural regions unknown TO the City-brad
girl.
Youth is youth wherever you find it.
Young blood flows swift and warm
through pulsing veins. Young hearts
long for companionship, young brains in
dGlge in vague, sweet dreams of pleas-
ures yet to come. A healtnful young
girl cen no more be content with pros&ic
duti4s, without one dsy Of pleasure to
brighten her life than q meadow-lsrk
can be content in & cage. To attend
faithfully to the most commonplace tasks
ell day, TO hear no word of praise for her
Iabors, and to retire at o'clock on d
beautiful moonlight evening is little less
than torture to girl full OF sentiment
and underlined longings.
Yet this is the existence of hundreds Of
country girls.
The parents regard any hours spent in
pleasure as so much lost time. They
exact industry and obedience from their
offspring, invite no condolences and object
to late hours or merrymaEings. The
young heart seethes IN silent rebellion,
ard lesrns 70 hate its lot, and lives in
hopes that something will happen to
give color to life. If the city idler, or the
smorous farm hand, or tie married
seducer happens to find her in these
rebelious moods why then we read in the
Disappearance" or "Unaccountable
Mesalliance," or ':Shocking Depravity"
of hitherto quiet and respectable young
girl.
The heart broken parents ere crushed
with shame and sorrow. They cannot
understand why their beloved daughter
should go astray. All! if they had only
shown her demonstrations of their love,
il they had only sought to know her secret
thoughts and loDgings, if they made en-
effort once month to give her few
hours Of pleasure, she need not have gone
astrsy.
Feminine hearts are never satisfied with
the love which only bestoWs food and
bodily covering, and finds no tenderer
expression. They crave something more
than "good care" The flaGtering praises
of an unworthy sdmirer often win fool
ish girI's heart, which stGrves in the a.
mosphere of undemonstr- tive parental
affection.
I personally knew case which illus
trates this point.
A young lady OF refinement, but born
with thSt passionate love Of music, color,
and perfume which is SO dangerous to its
possessor, was compelled tC live the most
prosaic Of lives. Her mother vas q de-
vout Christian, whose only command was
that her daughter should attend church
Sunday. Her father was domestic ty-
rant who desired the lights out IS
O'Clock, and objected to his daughters en-
tertGtning company.
One superb summer evening-which the
full moon rendered q pallid dcy-sae
walked down the quiet street to chat with
young lady friend over the gate.
, ST have been in the kitchen sll day."
she said, "and lam just crazy for drive
in this moonlight. Iteased father to take
me, but he went Of to bed and told me
that Wes where I'd better go. I knew I
couldn't sleep, SO l stole of to gee you"
Scarcely had she ceased speaking when q
handsome stranger passed, driving fine
equipage.
"Oh," whispered her friend, "there is
that handsome commercial man again. I
saw him down ct the store to-day. He
tried to flirt with me-"
ST wish he would ask me to take q
drive" said our desperate young lady.
"I would go in minute"
The man stared at the young ladies
with bold, admiring eyes. There was
something perhaps in the excited, pas
sionate face of one which gave him cour-
age to speak. He lifted his hat and said
politely, ga lovely evening for drive.
wish you young ladies would take
pity on lonely fellow, and accompany
me-"
The caimer Of the two girls turned
away without replying. The other hest
tated; the man saw his advantage,
pressed his invitation, and de-
spite her friends urgent entrea-
ties she drove of with the stranger. She
returned IN half an hour, declaring she
had done terrible rash thing, but that
she had broken the monotonY ofElife st
least, and "no one need never know"
But it was found out, of course; the
stranger boasted OF his conquest, ahd the
girls reputation WAS furnished forever,
Parents, in the country especially, are
too much afraid of prsising their chill
dren. believe it is better 70 risk spoil
ing child than to stsrYe it to death.
have noticed that children who are freely
praised for every task well performed
and for every dutiful act, seldom bring
sorrow into their parents lives.
Mothers are too reticent with daught-
ers on subjects of vital Importance to cur
sex. Curiosity to investigate the mystic
rious, causes many girls to read unhealth-
full books or converse with unworthy peo-
pie who excite their imsginations ana
tsrnish the purity of their minds.
In the country, children ramble home
from school together promiscuo6sly, |
And ever creative nature reveals msny CT
her mysteries to wide-open young eyes. |
If mothers would satisfy the natural Gu
riositY OF young girls regarding all these |
and teach them co regard the |
wonders of nature with reverence, the
TO personal investigation |
would be removed.
City streets TEEN with cheap opportu- |
miles for flirfatinns with nnknnv1Ia man |